91¿´Æ¬

What is a Sponsored Program?

Sponsored programs are research, training, or instructional projects led by OCU faculty or staff that are supported fully or in part by external restricted funds awarded directly to 91¿´Æ¬. All sponsored activities must align with OCU's mission of teaching, research, and service.

Sponsored Programs vs. Gifts

To ensure proper routing, note the key operational differences:

• Gifts / Donations: Voluntary contributions given with no expectation of tangible deliverables, technical outcomes, or stringent fiscal/technical reporting. (Managed via Institutional Advancement).
• Sponsored Programs: External grants or contracts that require specific deliverables, technical/fiscal reporting, and adherence to line-item budgets. (Managed via Sponsored Programs).

Ambiguity Rule: When it is unclear whether a source is a gift or a sponsored grant, the Office of Sponsored Programs and the Office of Institutional Advancement coordinate directly to prevent competing solicitations.

We support faculty and staff throughout the proposal lifecycle, transforming innovative scholarly, instructional, and community ideas into competitive funding applications. Our office provides guidance from initial opportunity identification through final institutional authorization and sponsor submission.

Our Services

• Funding Opportunity Identification & Strategy
  • Assisting faculty in identifying federal, state, corporate, and private foundation grant opportunities.
  • Facilitating early project concept discussions to align proposals with sponsor funding priorities.
• Proposal Development & Narrative Review
  • Analyzing Requests for Proposals (RFPs), program guidelines, and solicitation instructions.
  • Developing proposal preparation timelines, compliance checklists, and submission roadmaps.
  • Providing non-technical structural review, formatting checks, and alignment with sponsor review criteria.
• Budget Formulation & Justification
  • Building project budgets compliant with federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and institutional rates.
  • Coordinate with Academic Affairs and Accounting Services in calculating faculty release time/course buyouts, summer salary, fringe benefits, and indirect (F&A) costs.
  • Crafting detailed budget justifications and documenting institutional cost-share commitments when required.
• Internal Approvals & Routing
  • Managing the internal proposal routing and approval process across Department Chairs, Deans, Academic Affairs, and Finance.
  • Securing required institutional letters of support, institutional commitments, and administrative sign-offs.
• Compliance Verification & Partnerships
  • Coordinating preliminary requirements for Institutional Review Board (IRB) human subjects oversight, data management, and conflict of interest disclosures.
• Authorized Final Submission
  • Serving as the Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) for official institutional submission.
  • Managing electronic submission portals (e.g., Grants.gov, NSF Research.gov, NIH ASSIST, eRA Commons, JustGrants).
  • Ensuring complete packaging, verification of application receipt, and post-submission tracking.

We partner with faculty, administrative units, and the university's accounting services to ensure seamless fiscal management, regulatory compliance, and sponsor stewardship throughout the life of your awarded grant or contract.

Steps in Post Award Servicing 

• Award Setup & Financial Onboarding
  • Negotiating and finalizing grant agreements and sponsor terms.
  • Establishing dedicated restricted account codes and budget lines in Banner.
  • Leading award kick-off consultations to review budget rules, deliverables, and reporting timelines.
• Fiscal Management & Financial Compliance
  • Reviewing and approving grant-related purchases, travel authorizations, and vendor invoices for sponsor allowability.
  • Managing sponsor invoicing, financial drawdowns, and payment tracking.
  • Tracking cost-share commitments and matching funds.
• Effort Certification & Personnel Tracking
  • Facilitating time-and-effort certification for faculty course buyouts, summer stipends, and grant-funded staff.
  • Coordinating payroll allocations with Academic Affairs and Human Resources.
• Award Modifications & Sponsor Communications
  • Preparing and submitting requests for No-Cost Extensions (NCE).
  • Facilitating formal budget revisions, key personnel changes, and scope-of-work modifications requiring sponsor prior approval.
  • Assisting with subrecipient monitoring, subaward agreements, and partner invoicing.
• Research Integrity & Regulatory Alignment
  • Ensuring active compliance approvals (e.g., Institutional Review Board / IRB protocols, Conflict of Interest disclosures) prior to releasing funds.
  • Assisting project directors in maintaining compliance with federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200) and sponsor-specific guidelines.
• Reporting, Closeout & Audit Support
  • Compiling and submitting mandatory interim and final financial reports (e.g., SF-425).
  • Guiding project directors through final closeout procedures, equipment inventory, and milestone sign-offs.
  • Serving as the institutional liaison for annual Single Audits and sponsor-directed financial reviews.

We assist project directors in navigating federal, state, and sponsor regulatory requirements to protect the institution and ensure awards remain in good standing.

Our Services

• Financial Conflict of Interest (FCOI)
  • Collecting and tracking mandatory project-specific FCOI disclosures prior to proposal submission and fund release.
  • Ensuring compliance with federal sponsor standards (e.g., PHS/NIH, NSF) and institutional disclosure policies.
• Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Training
  • Tracking and verifying mandatory CITI training completion for grant-funded faculty, staff, and students.
  • Ensuring alignment with federal agency training mandates (e.g., NSF REU/graduate requirements, NIH).
• Data Management, DUAs & Agreements
  • Reviewing sponsor-mandated Data Management and Sharing (DMS) plans during proposal formulation.
  • Coordinating the review and execution of Data Use Agreements (DUAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), and Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs).

OSP reviews every proposal for compliance with relevant federal, sponsor and university guidelines prior to its submission to the sponsor. OSP requests advance notification of your NOI to submit a proposal so that OSP can ensure the appropriate time for this review.

Once the PI has identified a funding opportunity they would like to pursue, they will fill out theform. This will alert the OSP of your intent to submit for grant funding and allow enough time to assist you in the grant development process. and   This should be done a minimum of 30 ahead of the grant deadline.